Chapter 1: The Baby That Wasn't There
"DADDY, PLEASE TRUST ME! THERE'S NO BABY!""
My eight-year-old daughter screamed those words just as I was about to say, "I do.""
One hundred and fifty wedding guests turned toward her.
My bride, Vanessa, stood beside me in a beautiful ivory gown, one hand resting protectively over her enormous pregnant belly.
She looked like the happiest woman in the world.
Until my daughter pulled a silver pin from her pocket.
"Don't you dare touch me!"" Vanessa shrieked.
Nora didn't stop.
She ran down the aisle, her little white shoes slipping against the polished chapel floor.
I reached for her.
"Nora! What are you doing?""
She looked at me with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Daddy, she's lying!""
Vanessa grabbed my arm.
"Ethan, get your daughter under control!""
But Nora was already standing in front of her.
Then she pressed the pin against Vanessa's dress.
POP!
A strange hissing sound filled the chapel.
Vanessa screamed and stumbled backward.
Her enormous belly began collapsing.
First, it lost its round shape.
Then it shrank beneath the fabric.
Within seconds, the pregnancy that had supposedly taken five months to develop disappeared completely.
Silence.
Not a single person moved.
I stared at Vanessa's suddenly flat stomach.
My hands began trembling.
"Vanessa...""
She clutched her dress against her body.
"Ethan, baby, listen to me.""
I stepped away.
"Where is our child?""
Her eyes darted toward the guests.
"It's not what you think.""
I looked at the deflated material hanging around her waist.
"YOU'VE BEEN PRETENDING TO BE PREGNANT?""
Vanessa immediately pointed at Nora.
"That little monster ruined my wedding dress! She attacked me!""
My mother stood up from the front row.
"How dare you let that child behave like this?""
Nora flinched.
I turned toward my mother.
"Mom, please. Not now.""
My daughter grabbed my hand.
"Daddy, you have to listen. I tried telling you before.""
I crouched in front of her.
"Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me?""
"Because Vanessa said something bad would happen.""
"What did she say?""
Nora looked toward the bride.
Vanessa was already whispering urgently to her maid of honor.
"She said if I told you, you'd disappear like Mommy.""
My entire body went cold.
Rachel.
My first wife.
The woman I had buried six years earlier after a terrible car accident.
I swallowed hard.
"Nora, what does Mommy have to do with this?""
My daughter reached into the pocket of her little pink cardigan and pulled out a smartphone.
It wasn't hers.
It was an old phone I had given her for emergencies.
"I recorded something last night.""
Vanessa's face changed.
For the first time that afternoon, she looked genuinely frightened.
"Nora," she said softly, "give me that phone.""
Nora moved behind me.
"No.""
Vanessa dropped the sweet expression she had worn throughout our relationship.
"ETHAN, TAKE IT AWAY FROM HER!""
My brother Ryan stepped out from the second row.
"Vanessa, stop shouting at the child.""
She spun toward him.
"Stay out of this, Ryan!""
I took the phone from Nora.
"What's on here?""
"Just watch, Daddy.""
I pressed play.
The video showed our kitchen at 10:43 the previous night.
The camera angle was crooked, but the voices were clear.
Vanessa sat at the island, drinking wine.
Beside her was a man wearing a dark baseball cap.
I recognized his voice, although I couldn't see his face.
"Once Ethan marries you, how long before we can transfer the house?""
Vanessa laughed.
"Three days. His signature is already on the documents.""
The man leaned forward.
"And the little girl?""
Vanessa took another sip.
"I'll send her away. Ethan will believe whatever I tell him.""
My stomach tightened.
The man asked another question.
"What if she tells him about the other woman?""
Vanessa's smile disappeared.
"She won't. I've made sure she understands what happens to people who interfere.""
The video ended.
I stood motionless.
Then I looked at Vanessa.
"What house?""
She approached me with both hands raised.
"Ethan, please. That recording is being taken out of context.""
"What documents did I sign?""
"Nothing important.""
"WHAT DID I SIGN?""
She glanced toward the guests.
Several people were already recording us on their phones.
Ryan stepped closer.
"Brother, we need to call the police.""
Vanessa immediately turned on him.
"You don't get to pretend you're innocent!""
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"Not another word.""
I looked between them.
Something was terribly wrong.
Then Nora tugged at my jacket.
"Daddy?""
I knelt again.
"Yes, sweetheart?""
She pointed toward the phone.
"There's another video.""
I unlocked it.
The screen showed Vanessa standing in our living room, speaking directly to someone outside the camera's view.
Her voice was unmistakable.
"Ethan still thinks Rachel died in that accident. He has absolutely no idea she's alive.""
I stopped breathing.
The phone slipped slightly in my hand.
I replayed the sentence.
Once.
Twice.
Then I looked at my daughter.
"Who is Rachel?""
Nora's eyes filled with tears.
"My mommy.""
I felt the chapel floor tilt beneath me.
"Sweetheart, what did you just say?""
"She's alive, Daddy.""
Vanessa suddenly lunged forward.
"DELETE THAT VIDEO!""
Ryan caught her arm.
"Don't touch her!""
Vanessa struggled against him.
"LET ME GO!""
I pulled Nora behind me.
Then my daughter whispered something that shattered the last six years of my life.
"Mommy came to our house yesterday.""
My voice barely worked.
"Where is she now?""
Nora pointed toward the enormous wooden chapel doors.
"She's waiting outside.""
At that exact moment, the doors began opening.
And a woman leaning on a silver cane stepped into the chapel.
I knew those eyes.
Even after six years.
Even after the funeral.
Even after I had watched them lower an empty coffin into the ground.
"Rachel?""
My first wife looked directly at me.
May you like
Then she whispered:
"Ethan, don't let Vanessa take Nora.""
